


As Long As You're Still Smiling

by mllelouise



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, mention of the fire, this is my way of coping with david bowie's death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 07:02:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5699320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mllelouise/pseuds/mllelouise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Derek could react to David Bowie's death and how Stiles would help.</p><p>Unbeta'd and I haven't written in a while so I'm a bit rusty, sorry.<br/>Title from the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8NZa9wYZ_U">Absolute Beginners</a> by (of course) David Bowie.</p><p> <a href="http://theladyandthewolves.tumblr.com/post/137112502358/as-long-as-youre-still-smiling">[see on tumblr]</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	As Long As You're Still Smiling

“You okay in there?”Stiles asks as he enters the loft only to find Derek in the dark, lying on the floor beside the bookshelves.  
Derek mumbles and Stiles wonders if he should be worried.  
“What’s going on?”  
“David Bowie died,” Derek states, voice raw and unsteady.  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah,” Derek sighs.  
“Who’s David Bowie?” Stiles asks, feeling he should probably know the answer to that.  
Derek moves to sit up on the floor and Stiles expect some snorting, maybe a little mocking for not knowing someone who’s obviously important and famous as their death put Derek in that sad mood.

“A singer,” Derek says, not an ounce of mocking in his voice, “mostly, actor too, amazing artist. Never heard of him?” The tone is light and the question genuine.  
Stiles shakes his head. “Sorry.”  
Derek shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Wanna listen to him?”  
Stiles nods and smiles, sitting beside Derek on the floor. The record player is turning with no record on it and Derek flips through the pile of vinyls scattered around him.  
“How long have you been listening to those?” Stiles asks.  
“What time is it?”  
“Lunch, I was bringing you falafels,” Stiles answers holding up the bag of food still in his hand.  
Derek’s smile is shy and Stiles knows his heart is heavy with loss.

“So, what’s the song?” he looks at Derek putting the record on.  
“Let’s start with space and astronauts,” Derek smiles frankly, as the first notes of [Space Oddity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67kmFzSh_o) fill the room.

They eat together, on the floor like an improvised indoor picnic, and Stiles discovers David Bowie’s music little by little. It’s nice and maybe not his first choice to listen to but yeah, it’s nice, even more so because Derek is so passionate about it, telling Stiles everything about Bowie’s career and life and how his vision of music and genders changed the world.

Telling Stiles how Derek’s dad was the one to introduce Derek to those songs.  
“All his records were lost in the fire,” Derek says and Stiles’ heart breaks a little inside, “it took me a lot of searching to get them all again.”

He picks a new record from his collection. “This one was my parents’ favorite. I remember them dancing in the living room, me and Laura trying to repeat their moves. Failing, mostly,” he smiles at that memory.

The music starts and it only takes the first words of [Absolute Beginners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8NZa9wYZ_U) to make Stiles completely fall in love with David Bowie. Every word seems written to describe what Stiles feels when he looks at Derek, what he’s been keeping hidden inside for a very long time, that simple yet so improbable fantasy of dancing in a living room with him.

“What?” Derek asks, frowning. “You don’t like it?”  
Stiles sighs. “Love it, it’s just-” he shakes his head and puts his hand on Derek’s cheek. “I’m sad that you’re sad, but I’m glad that you shared this with me, the sadness and the mountain of joy that resonates in those songs,’ he says, not sure how to put in words all the emotions wrestling in his head and heart.  
Derek smiles and Stiles thinks that maybe Derek understood what he meant after all, the way he always seems to understand him.  
“I’m glad you’re in my life,” Stiles says before leaning towards Derek, putting a small kiss on the corner of his mouth, because life’s too short to wait for the perfect timing.  
“And I’m glad you’re in mine,” Derek says, lips moving to capture Stiles’ mouth, kissing him deeper, because life’s too short to let your chance at happiness fly by.

The songs change, the words go on and on and Derek closes his eyes to revel in that unique voice, holding Stiles’ hand, thumb slowly stroking Stiles’ skin, not willing to let go, ever. He goes back to lying on the floor and Stiles follows as the music floods their entire beings.

Sure, sadness will always be part of their path, one way or one million others, but if moments like these can offer little pieces of bliss, then so can the rest of their life.

As long as they’re still smiling to each other, there’s nothing more they need.


End file.
